Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters; they belong to DreamWorks. I am merely a fan of the Movies/Series with a large imagination and a want to share these imaginations with fellow fan fiction lovers! Comments are always loved! Also, there may be a few OC's added along the way, which I will specifically state them, and if they are barrowed, give credit to their original creators. If you have any OC's that you wish to make a guest appearance in this story, just send me a message and I'll see what I can do.

Chapter Two: A Master and A Father

Shifu took in a relaxing breath of crisp morning air, allowing the pull of nature to capture his mind and pull him away from his daily thoughts. However, they merely brought him to the current…situation sitting right beside him: his adopted daughter and one of his most talented students, Master Tigress. Even since the heartbreak Shifu had taken from losing Tai Lung, the aging red panda had closed off his feelings in order to prevent himself, and any others, from the hurt and betrayal he once faced. Though, in recent times, it had finally dawned on him (due to a particular chubby and goofy panda) that instead of protecting those he cared about, he was only causing them the same amount of pain he wanted to avoid. Which brought him to his current state: as the sky filled with the blindingly bright colors of the new dawn, master and student (as well as father and daughter) sat together, meditating under the ancient but well respected peach tree.

Opening his eyes to meet the bright hues of pinks and yellows that filled the summer sky, he turned his head just the slightest bit to get a glimpse of his adopted daughter. Tigress sat cross-legged with her paws resting on her knees, her head tilted slightly back with her face lifted to the sky, her bright orange eyes concealed behind her eyelids while her face seemed to gleam with an inner joy Shifu hadn't seen there in a long time. Her soft orange and white fur glowed in the bright sunbeams, highlighting her bold and arching stripes; not a single villager in the Valley could argue against Tigress's beauty. Shifu gave a small, almost sad, smile as he admired his student, pleased to see her at peace once again; she had been very tense as of late and Shifu had started to worry for her.

"Tigress" he spoke softly, the edges of his lips twitching lightly when he said her name. Shifu had never told anyone, but he absolutely loved his daughters name; it was full of pride and un-masked strength. "Open your eyes and look at the valley."

Tigress instantly obeyed her master, and her eyes widened in shock at the scene before her: the entire valley was alight in a bright shining light, the rooftops glowing bright browns, reds, and greens, and the path leading up to the Palace looked like a trail of molten gold! Treetops shone their colors with pride and the grass glowed the brightest green the young master had ever seen; the whole region was beautiful, and she couldn't help but face Shifu and give him a grateful smile.

"Master" she breathed, awed almost beyond being able to speak. "This is incredible! I can't believe I never notice how…how beautiful the Valley was before now! Is it always like this in the morning?"

"Not exactly" Shifu began, giving Tigress an amused smile. "When there are clouds on the horizon blocking out the sun's light, sometimes they will light up like fires, burning holes in the sky!" he began in an enchanted voice, only to add in his sore sense of humor: "or it just looks dull and grey; then no one ever wants to get up and the whole day goes wrong." His ears gave a slight drop in irritation just by thinking of the idea; his students had come to learn that Shifu hated the rain, mostly because when-ever he got wet, Shifu smelt like dog and Shifu had a strong dislike for any member of the canine breed.

Just then the morning gong sounded, and Master Shifu and Tigress finally noticed the activity starting up down at the Palace below them. The attendants of the Palace, mostly consisting of geese, pigs, and rabbits (the usual inhabitants of the Valley of Peace) were bustling to and fro, going about their daily chores to keep the Palace running in the highest condition possible. Down in the bunkhouse that the Furious Five, Po, and Master Shifu shared, the lightest aroma of food drifted up to them.

"Smells like Monkey is throwing together a batch of banana pancakes for breakfast." He commented lightly to Tigress. "How about we go join the others before that Panda gets up and eats it all?" he joked lightly, sharing an amused grin with Tigress; no spite was meant in the comment, just a light tease to keep the peaceful mood between the two of them.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Master." Tigress agreed, standing up and giving him the usual respectful bow. "Thank you for allowing me to join your meditation session this morning, Master Shifu."

Shifu returned her bow before giving his reply. "It was a pleasure to have you with me, Master Tigress. I hope we have the chance to share more moments like this together in the future." He replied, giving an inward smile and he saw the young tiger's tail give a quick swish of excitement; he was happy Tigress was still willing to give him the chance to attempt to bond with her, after he had already wasted so much precious time. Even Master Oogway had tried to convince him to 'lighten up' around the young warrior and just try to forge some type of paternal bond; he just couldn't bring himself to do it, memories of Tai Lung clouding his thoughts.

Giving his a head a light shake to clear his thoughts, Shifu clasped Oogway's staff in his paw before turning around and heading back towards the delicious scent of pancakes, Tigress following just a few paw-steps behind him.

Author's Note: Well, this chapter is a tad bit shorter than the last one, and not as 'eventful' as I thought I was going to make it, but part of me really wanted to give Shifu and Tigress another good bonding moment, but it Shifu's perspective this time. I hope it came out as good as I thought it did, and enjoy! I'll get started on Chapter 3 ASAP! (Which is Cassie's term for: After Supper and Practice (cello)!)